Electrolysis device

ABSTRACT

An electrolysis device including a housing, an electrolysis plate, and a rotating element is provided. The housing has a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other. The electrolysis plate disposed in the housing includes a rotating plate, a working electrode, and a counter electrode. The working electrode and the counter electrode are respectively disposed on the rotating plate and separated from each other. The rotating element is pivotally disposed on the rotating plate, so that the electrolysis plate is able to rotate in the housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 107119933, filed on Jun. 8, 2018. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an electrolysis device, and particularly relates to a high-gravity electrolysis device.

2. Description of Related Art

Alongside the rising of environmental awareness across the world, the use of renewable energy and the producing process thereof are drawing more and more attention. One of the important issues which researchers now focus on is how to generate renewable energy effectively while being environmentally friendly. For example, hydrogen is an excellent energy carrier and an indispensable reactant in chemical industries, but most hydrogen is present on Earth in a stable state of being completely oxidized (e.g., H₂O). In order to achieve environmentally friendly production, hydrogen may be generated through electrolyzing water.

In a water electrolysis system, the electrical resistance is mainly affected by the electrochemical reaction resistance and the mass transport related resistance on a solid-state electrode. The mass transfer resistance, which is of a physical nature, includes a decrease in the electrode surface area caused by a bubble product covering the electrode surface (i.e., bubble effect) as well as a transport resistance of bubbles suspended in the electrolytic solution against the substances/ions. Studies have shown that, in an electrolysis system with high current density, the majority of the electrical resistance and the power consumption in the electrolysis of water is attributable to the above-mentioned bubble effect and transport resistance against the substances/ions in the electrolytic solution. As the current density increases, the power consumption caused by the physical mass transfer resistance may account for as much as 55% of the total energy required.

Therefore, researchers are now actively working on reducing the power consumption caused by the mass transfer resistance, so as to facilitate the electrolysis efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments of the invention provide an electrolysis device that is capable of improving the power consumption caused by the mass transfer resistance and thereby facilitating the electrolysis efficiency.

An embodiment of the invention provides an electrolysis device. The electrolysis device includes a housing, an electrolysis plate, and a rotating element. The housing has a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other. The electrolysis plate is disposed in the housing and includes a rotating plate, a working electrode, and a counter electrode. The working electrode and the counter electrode are respectively disposed on the rotating plate and separated from each other. The rotating element is pivotally disposed on the rotating plate, so that the electrolysis plate is able to rotate in the housing.

According to an embodiment of the invention, in the electrolysis device, the housing includes an inlet and an outlet, the inlet and the outlet are respectively disposed on the first surface and the second surface, and the electrolysis plate is disposed between the inlet and the outlet.

According to an embodiment of the invention, in the electrolysis device, the rotating element penetrates through the second surface of the housing.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the electrolysis device further includes a driving device. The driving device is connected to the rotating element and disposed at a side of the housing close to the second surface.

According to an embodiment of the invention, in the electrolysis device, the housing includes a gas collecting opening. The gas collecting opening is disposed on the first surface and separated from the inlet.

According to an embodiment of the invention, in the electrolysis device, the rotating plate has a blind hole, and the electrolysis device further includes a reference electrode disposed in the blind hole.

According to an embodiment of the invention, in the electrolysis device, the reference electrode penetrates through the inlet.

According to an embodiment of the invention, in the electrolysis device, the electrolysis plate has a rotating axis, and the rotating axis penetrates through a center of the blind hole and a center of the rotating element.

According to an embodiment of the invention, in the electrolysis device, a rotating speed of the electrolysis plate is higher than 0 rpm and lower than or equal to 3000 rpm.

According to an embodiment of the invention, in the electrolysis device, a flow rate at which a solution to be electrolyzed flows into the housing via the inlet is F, and 0.1 L/min≤F≤10 L/min.

Based on the above, in the electrolysis device according to the embodiments of the invention, the working electrode and the counter electrode are respectively disposed on the rotating plate, and the rotating plate is pivotally disposed on the rotating plate so that the electroplate is able to rotate in the housing. In this way, bubbles generated on the surfaces of the working electrode and the counter electrode can be removed by rotating the electrolysis plate, so as to reduce the power consumption due to the mass transfer resistance and thereby facilitate the electrolysis efficiency.

In order to make the aforementioned and other features and advantages of the invention comprehensible, several exemplary embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an electrolysis device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view illustrating an electrolysis plate according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a relation between power consumption and current density at different rotating speeds.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In the following, the invention will be more thoroughly described with reference to the drawings of the embodiments. However, the invention may also be implemented in various forms, and shall not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, layers and regions are shown thicker for clearer illustration. Like or similar reference symbols represent like or similar components, and the descriptions thereof will not be repeated. In the following embodiments, terms indicating directions, such as “up,” “down,” “left”, “right”, “front”, “rear”, etc., merely refer to the directions in the accompanying drawings. Thus, the terms used to describe the directions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an electrolysis device according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view illustrating an electrolysis plate according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a relation between power consumption and current density at different rotating speeds.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electrolysis device 100 includes a housing H, an electrolysis plate EP, and a rotating element R. In the embodiment, the electrolysis device 100 may serve to generate a hydrogen gas and an oxygen gas. As examples, a solution to be electrolyzed may be water, an aqueous solution of H₂SO₄, or other suitable solutions. However, the invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the electrolysis device 100 may also serve to generate other gases or other suitable liquid products. In some embodiments, the electrolysis device 100 may optionally include a support element SP to support the housing H on a substrate S.

The electrolysis plate EP may be disposed in the housing H, and the housing H may have a first surface S1 and a second surface S2 that are opposite to each other. The material of the housing H may include glass, plastics, or other suitable materials. For example, when the solution to be electrolyzed is acid, a material with higher acid resistance (e.g., glass) may be adopted, and when the solution to be electrolyzed is alkaline, a material with higher alkaline resistance (e.g., plastics) may be adopted.

In some embodiments, the housing H may include an inlet Lin and an outlet Lout. The inlet Lin and the outlet Lout may be respectively disposed on the first surface S1 and the second surface S2, and the electrolysis plate EP is disposed between the inlet Lin and the outlet Lout. In this way, the solution entering the housing H via the inlet Lin may properly contact electrodes on the electrolysis plate EP and then be discharged out of the housing H via the outlet Lout. In other words, the configuration of the inlet Lin and the outlet Lout may facilitate the electrolysis efficiency. In the embodiment, the electrolysis device 100 is a continuous electrolysis device, a flow rate at which the solution to be electrolyzed flows into the housing H via the inlet Lin is F, and 0.1 L/min≤F≤10 L/min.

In some embodiments, the housing H may further include a gas collecting opening Gout for collecting the gas generated through electrolysis reaction. For example, in the case of electrolyzing water, the anode and the cathode on the electrolysis plate EP may respectively generate the oxygen gas and the hydrogen gas, and the two gases may be collected in other containers via the gas collecting opening Gout. In the embodiment, the gas collecting opening Gout may be disposed on the first surface S1 separately from the inlet Lin. In other words, the gas collecting opening Gout and the inlet Lin may be disposed on the same side of the housing H.

In some embodiments, the housing H may further include a feeding tube P. The feeding tube P may penetrate through the first surface S1 of the housing H, and the inlet Lin may be disposed on the sidewall of the feeding tube P. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the feeding tube P may be divided into two portions. One of the portions of the feeding tube P may be located inside the housing H, while the other portion of the feeding tube P may be located on the first surface S1. The inlet Lin may be disposed on the sidewall of the other portion of the feeding tube P.

The electrolysis plate EP may include a rotating plate RP, a working electrode WE, and a counter electrode CE. The material of the rotating plate RP may include a non-conductive material, such as plastics or glass. The material of the working electrode WE may include a conductive material, such as metal, metalloid, metal oxide, metal sulfide, or a combination thereof. In this embodiment, the material of the working electrode WE may be carbon (C), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), or palladium (Pd), so as to render a higher chemical stability. However, the invention is not limited thereto. The material of the counter electrode CE may include a conductive material, such as metal, metalloid, metal oxide, metal sulfide, or a combination thereof. In this embodiment, the material of the counter electrode CE may be carbon (C), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), or palladium (Pd), so as to render a higher chemical stability. However, the invention is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the working electrode WE and the counter electrode CE may be respectively disposed on the rotating plate RP, and the working electrode WE and the counter electrode CE may be separated from each other. It should be noted that, the embodiment is described with an example in which one rectangular working electrode WE and one rectangular counter electrode CE are disposed opposite to each other, but the invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the numbers, shapes, or arrangements of the working electrode WE and the counter electrode CE may be adjusted based on the design.

The rotating element R may be pivotally disposed on the rotating plate RP, so that the electrolysis plate EP is able to rotate in the housing H. In this way, bubbles generated on the surfaces of the working electrode WE and the counter electrode CE can be removed by rotating the electrolysis plate EP, so as to improve the power consumption caused by the mass transfer resistance (reducing the power consumption due to the bubble effect) and thereby facilitate the electrolysis efficiency. In other words, improving the power consumption caused by the bubble effect not only facilitates the electrolysis efficiency but also makes the electrolysis device 100 applicable at a high current density (about 10 kA/m²) used at the industrial scale without being confined to a low current density (about 2 kA/m²) at the laboratory scale.

Referring to FIG. 3, under the condition of a low rotating speed, the electrolysis device can save about 96% of the power required for electrolysis in the state of low current density at the laboratory scale (about 2 kA/m²). As the rotating speed increases (i.e., increasing the centrifugal force) to an intermediate or high rotating speed, the electrolysis device can also save about 90% or more of the power required for electrolysis in the state of high current density (about 10 kA/m²) at the industrial scale. The extent to which the power required for electrolysis is saved is calculated based on Formula 1 below:

$\begin{matrix} {P_{saving} = {\frac{P_{STNR} - P_{E - {higee}}}{P_{STNR}} \times 100\; \%}} & \left\lbrack {{Formula}\mspace{14mu} 1} \right\rbrack \end{matrix}$

In Formula 1, P_(saving) represents the extent to which the power required for electrolysis is saved, and P_(E-higee) and P_(STNR) respectively represent the power required to generate products having the same content through electrolysis when the electrolysis plate EP is rotating and when the electrolysis plate EP remains still.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the rotating element R may be pivotally disposed on the rotating plate RP by penetrating through the second surface S2 of the housing H. In other words, the rotating element R and the inlet Lin may be disposed on opposite sides of the housing H. The rotating element R may be a rotating shaft, for example. However, the invention is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the rotating speed of the electrolysis plate EP may be higher than 0 rpm and lower than or equal to 3000 rpm. If represented by centrifugal force, the centrifugal force of the electrolysis plate EP may be greater than 1 g and smaller than or equal to 260 g.

In some embodiments, the rotating element R may include a driving device DE for driving the rotating element R. The driving device DE is connected to the rotating element R and is disposed on a side of the housing H close to the second surface S2. In other words, the driving device DE and the inlet Lin may be disposed on opposite sides of the housing H. In some embodiments, the driving device DE may further include a rotating speed controller (not shown) to control the rotating speed of the rotating element R. In addition, the driving device DE may further include other suitable components, such as a motor, a belt, or a circuit device. However, the invention is not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, the electrolysis device 100 may optionally include a reference electrode RE. In this way, the electric potential applied to the working electrode WE can be stabilized by exploiting the potential-stabilizing property of the reference electrode RE. In some embodiments, an Ag/AgCl electrode or a saturated calomel electrode (SCE) may serve as the reference electrode RE. However, the invention is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the reference electrode RE may be disposed between the working electrode WE and the counter electrode CE to prevent a voltage drop due to the impedance between the working electrode WE and the counter electrode CE. In some embodiments, the reference electrode RE may be closely disposed to the upper surface of the rotating plate RP. However, the invention is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, the rotating plate RP may have a blind hole OP, and the reference electrode RE may be disposed in the blind hole OP.

In this embodiment, the electrolysis EP may have a rotating axis RA, and the rotating axis RA may penetrate through the center of the blind hole OP and the center of the rotating element R. In this way, in the case in which the reference electrode RE is disposed in the blind hole OP, the distance between the reference electrode RE and the working electrode WE remains constant despite the rotation of the electrolysis plate EP (i.e., the working electrode WE rotates about the reference electrode RE). Thus, a more stable relative potential is provided as reference. It should be noted that the blind hole OP refers to a hole that does not penetrate through the electrolysis plate EP.

In some embodiments, the reference electrode RE may optionally penetrate through the feeding tube P on which the inlet Lin is disposed. In this way, the housing H does not require an additional opening to place the reference electrode RE. Therefore, the gas generated through electrolysis reaction is prevented from being leaked through the periphery of the opening (e.g., the sealed part), and the yield can be further increased.

In view of the foregoing, in the electrolysis device according to the embodiments, the rotating element is pivotally disposed on the rotating plate, so the electrolysis plate including the working electrode and the counter electrode can rotate in the housing. With the configuration, the bubbles generated on the surfaces of the working electrode and the counter electrode can be removed by rotating the electrolysis plate, thereby improving the power consumption caused by the mass transfer resistance and facilitating the electrolysis efficiency.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An electrolysis device, comprising: a housing, having a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other; an electrolysis plate, disposed in the housing and comprising: a rotating plate; a working electrode, disposed on the rotating plate; and a counter electrode, disposed on the rotating plate and separated from the working electrode; and a rotating element, pivotally disposed on the rotating plate, such that the electrolysis plate is able to rotate in the housing.
 2. The electrolysis device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an inlet and an outlet, the inlet and the outlet are respectively disposed on the first surface and the second surface, and the electrolysis plate is disposed between the inlet and the outlet.
 3. The electrolysis device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rotating element penetrates through the second surface of the housing.
 4. The electrolysis device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising: a driving device, connected to the rotating element and disposed at a side of the housing close to the second surface.
 5. The electrolysis device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the housing comprises a gas collecting opening disposed on the first surface and separated from the inlet.
 6. The electrolysis device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rotating plate has a blind hole, and the electrolysis device further comprises: a reference electrode, disposed in the blind hole.
 7. The electrolysis device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the reference electrode penetrates through the inlet.
 8. The electrolysis device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the electrolysis plate has a rotating axis, and the rotating axis penetrates through a center of the blind hole and a center of the rotating element.
 9. The electrolysis device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a rotating speed of the electrolysis plate is higher than 0 rpm and lower than or equal to 3000 rpm.
 10. The electrolysis device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a flow rate at which a solution to be electrolyzed flows into the housing via the inlet is F, and 0.1 L/min≤F≤10 L/min. 